Ticket feinting and issuing machine



oct. 24, 1944. A. BOWMAN,

TICKET PRINTING AND ISSUING MACHINE Filed Aug. 19 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet l 'wn/ENTOR- l l Fw-.hlu x Hw 'ATTORNEYS oct. 24, 1944. I I A, BOWMAN 2,36L257 TICKET PRINTING AND ISSUING MACHINE Filed Aug. 19, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 NVENTR ATTORNEYS Oct. 24, 1944. A. BowMAN TICKET PRINTING AND ISSUING MACHINE Filed Aug. 19, 194]. 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 mw %N A INVENTOR 'ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 24, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application August 19, 1941, Serial No. 407,484 In Great Britain January 15, 1941 6 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for printing and issuing tickets of the kind which is used for the issue of tickets on omnibuses and tramways although its application is not limited in thisA respect. The invention relates more particularly to ticket issuing machines of the kind wherein a ticket whose value or other essential particular is variable, is printed upon and severed from a paper web which is ied from a' supply roll as printing and issuingr proceeds.

The object of the present invention is to provide improvements in machines of the kind above indicated for the purpose of reducing the size and weight of the` machine and for simplifying the arrangements employed for inking the printing type. l l

The invention is more particularly designed to provide modiiications in a ticket printing and issuing machine vhaving the general construction described and shown in the specification of Patent No. 2,009,260, such modifications enabling the movable inking ribbon and its operating mechanism to be dispensed with entirely.

According to the invention an inking device for use in a ticket printing and issuing machine of the kind described is provided comprising an element including an inked ribbon or strip adapted to be removably mounted as a stationary component adjacent the printing plate and/or printling wheels of the said machine.

According to the preferred form of the invention the inking device for use in a ticket printing and issuing machine of the kind described comprises a metal frame having an inked ribbon or strip stretched thereon said frame being formed or provided with means for enabling it to engage the printing plate or block of the said machine to maintain the said inking device in a stationary position during the operations -of the machine.

The invention also includes a ticket printing and issuing machine of the kind referred to wherein the printing elements are adapted to operate through the intermediary of a stationary inked ribbon or strip which constitutes a readily removable and replaceable component of the machine.

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a plan of an inking device,

Fig. 2 is a-side elevation of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the printing block showing guides for the inking device,

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the printing block and guides,

, Fig. 5 is an elevation showing the application of the invention to a ticket printing and issuing machine,

Fig. 6 is a detail View of means for operating counter mechanism,

Fig. '7 is a view taken on the line A-A of Fig. 6,

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 9 is a plan corresponding to Fig. 8.

Referring rst to Figs. 1 and 2, the inking device consists of an inked absorbent fabric I which is of the texture of typewriter ribbon and which is stretched over and secured to a rectangular wire frame whose dimensions are approximately those of the printing plate. This wire frame consists of side members 2 connected by an end member 3. At the opposite end of the frame, the wires 2 are bent at right angles toy form members 4 which are connected by inserting them in a sleeve 5. The inked ribbon is; stretched taut between the end member 3 and the; sleeve 5 and secured over these members by stitching as indicated at 6.

The end 3 which constitutes the inner end of.' the frame is formed as shown in Fig. 2 to extend, at right angles to the main plane of the inkingj device to pass beneath the printing block when the device is being operatively positioned. Figsi. 3 and 4 show the means by which the inkingv de;- vice is mounted in the machine. To the sides of the printing block 1 arev secured strips of sheet metal 8 which are bent to form guide channels 9 of curved cross section and are secured in position by screws l0. In order that the frame of the inking member can be accurately locked without diliiculty and retained in the exact position required for operation the side members 2 of the frame are formed slightly convex in plan, as shown in Fig. l, on their outer sides so that when forced into the guide channels 9 they will bind frictionally therein. The guides 9 are so attached to the printing block that when the side members 2 are inserted in the channels 9 the ribbon is held taut in close contact with the surface Il of the printing block and the type wheels which project into it, thereby ensuring a clean and sharp impression being made on the paper strip, when this is pressed into contact with the inked ribbon during the printing operation. The end 5 of the frame of the inking device is adapted to engage as a push nt in a recess il formed inthe lower outer edge of the printing block and this necessary engagement ensures that the inking device is fully pushed home ,in its guides 9 and also serves to hold the frame in a position wherein it will not foul the paper strip I3 as it is fed outwards to issue the printed ticket. The inking device as shown in Fig. 1 can be withdrawn, without necessitating dismantling of the rest of the machine, after a given period of use for re-inking or replacement by another inking device.

Fig. shows the position occupied by the printing plate 1 in a machine of the character described in Patent No. 2,009,260, the various type wheels used for printing fare values, stages and other matter being indicated by the numeral I2 whilst I3 indicates the paper strip which is fed from a magazine I4 and passes beneath the frame 2 and is ejected in the form of printed tickets through an opening I5. I6 is a roller which effects the printing operation on the paper strip I3 by pressing it into close contact with the inked ribbon as it is held taut over the surface of the printing block 1 in the manner already described.

Both in the machine above described and in other machines of the same general character, the improved inking component enables the two ribbon spools and winding mechanism therefor to be completely eliminated, thereby lessening the weight ofthe machine and reducing its cubi.- cal contents to a material extent. As for convenience in carrying and use these machines must not exceed a weight of the order of three to four pounds, the reduction in weight effected by the present invention enables a machine of a given Weight to embody, when necessary more detailed registering mechanism and thereby reduce the work entailed in calculating the performance of the machine over a given period.

When the present invention is applied to a machineof the character described in the aforesaid prior specication No. 2,009,260, alteration is necessary in the means for operating the printing counter inside the machine which prints a serial number on each ticket and the counter which gives a visible record of the number of tickets issued as both these counters were formerly driven from the ribbon spool mechanism which is eliminated by the present invention. Figs. G and 7 illustrate the modied means for operating these counters indicated at 25 (the printing counter) and 21 (the visible record counter) the arrangement of the modied operating means being as follows:

The roller I6 is caused to reciprocate to effect the printing operation by means of an operating handle I8 movable in a horizontal direction across the base of the machine, the actual printing operation being effected during the movement from right to left, Fig. 5. This movement also causes a lever I9 to be rocked about its pivot 2|] in an anticlockwise direction by a roller mounted in the carriage 33 which carries the roller I6. The lever I9 operates to lift the cutting blade which severs the printed ticket in the manner described in the aforesaid prior specification No. 2,009,260. According to the present invention the lever I9 also operates a link 2I (Figs. 6 and '1) against the action of a spring 22 to rock an arm 23 and impart partial rotary movement to a spindle 24 which in turn actuates counter 25 and through arm 26 counter 21, every time a ticket is printed and severed. On the return movement of the lever I9 the spindle 24 is rocked in the reverse direction owing to the pull exerted on link 2I by the spring,

To prevent inadvertent operation while the machine is being recharged with an inking member or with a fresh roll of paper, the operating handle I8 is preferably provided with a locking pin 28 (see Figs. 8 and 9) which normally engages a iixed stop 29 as shown in Fig. 9 to prevent any reciprocating movement of the handle. The handle is mounted over a stern 34 around the outer end of which is coiled a spring 30 bearing against a head 3l on the steam and against the end of a recess 32 in the handle. The handle is moved relatively to the stem 34 to the operating position shown in broken lines in Fig. 8 by pulling it against the action of the spring 30 vand thereby withdrawing the pin 28 from engagement with the stop 29 to free the handle for movement. As the first portion of the operative stroke of the handle is in a partially arcuate direction as indicated yin Fig. 9, the handle is locked against movement by the engagement of the pin 28 with the stop 29. After the initial arcuate movement the handle travels in a straight line path. The locking arrangement for the handle is a desirable safeguard in a machine as above described wherein both the inking member and the paper strip have to be changed from time to time. In the manipulation of the machine for these recharging purposes an operating handle without some kind of safety catch or lock could easily be partially operated by catching in the clothing or equipment of the operator, for example. In such an instance the complete outward and return movements of the handle would then have to be made before it could be returned to zero position with the result that the counter mechanism would be operated and yield an incorrect total.

I claim:

1. An inking device for use in a ticket printing and issuing machine, comprising a substantially rectangular wire framework Whose longer sides are outwardly curved, an inked fabric secured in a stretched condition between the ends of said framework, the forward end of said framework projecting at right angles to the plane of the inking device and the rear end of said framework carrying positioning means.

2. In a ticket printing and issuing machine having printing elements, and channel shaped guides adjacent thereto, an inking device for said printing elements comprising an elongated substantially rectangular frame, an inking ribbon for said printing elements having its ends attached to the ends only of said frame, the sides of said frame being normally bowed outwardly but adapted to be inserted into said guides to support the inking device and hold the inking ribbon taut and in close relation to the printing elements.

3. An inking device for use in a ticket printing and issuing machine, the device comprising a resilient frame, an inked ribbon stretched over and by said frame, and said frame including an outwardlybowed portion located between the zones of attachment of the ribbon t0 the frame, said bowed portion being engageable with a stationary printing element of the said machine to straighten said bowed portion and thereby tension said ribbon and maintain the inking device stationary during the operation of the machine.

4. An inking device for use in a ticket printing and issuing machine having stationary guides therein, comprising a substantially rectangular wire frame, the machine having a printing block provided with a face offset relatively to the plane of said guides, and the longer sides of said Wire frame being of convex form in plan'for the purpose of causing them to bind frictionally against the Walls of said guides and to stretch said ribbon in close contact with said offset face of the printing block.

5. A ticket printing and issuing machine according to claim 4 wherein said guides are of channel shape and are disposed at the sides of the block to receive the longer sides of said ribbon carrying frame in order to maintain tension on the ribbon stretched thereover.

6. A ticket printing and issuing machine ac- 10 cording to claim 4 wherein said ribbon is attached to the ends only of said frame, and said block has a recess formed in its face at one end thereof, and means carried by one end of said frame adapted to engage said recess to hold said ribbon in close contact with the face of said block and to insure accurate positioning of the inking device beiore the machine is operated.

ALICK BOWMAN. 

